The United States of America. The country of free speech, choice, and action. If you put the name in syllables you get The/UNITED/STATES/of/America. Our states are united, representing the country of freedom. But what if I told you that a man had flown to the United States, only to find that his visa wasn’t valid because his home country can’t even be referred to as a place anymore, due to the civil war that took place in the location. And without the valid documentations he isn’t able to step on American soil, nor the grains of his homeland. That is until he is given a new passport that can help him depart. but alas. He is told that he is to live and roam through the airport in which he shuttled until further notice. Imagine, living in an airport, in an atmosphere you aren’t familiar with. The interests and daily living actions of the others roaming about are confusing and become more and more foreign to you.

On August 26, 1988 Mehran Karimi Nasseri was told that he couldn’t walk on American land unless he had is documents. But unfortunately, the luggage containing those specific papers was stolen. Thus leading him to live in Terminal 1 of the Charles de Gaulle Airport. He then became hospitalized due to an unspecified ailment. Therefore he had to leave the airport on July in 2006. He lived eighteen years in the airport, his life slowly crumbling away from him. He later on wrote the book “The Terminal Man,” and “Terminal.” His story then inspired the Steven Spielberg movie “The Terminal.”

He had lost all his freedom, along with his own dignity.

A few weeks ago I saw the movie “The Terminal.” If you can’t tell already, I have really strong feelings towards this story. Not only did it happen in real life, but it has been happening multiple times. The movie is partially based of the experiences of the man who lived eighteen years in an airport in France, but it was also an interpretation of what people imagine life that way is like.

Victor Navorski( played by Tom Hanks) traveled to the United States in hopes of finishing a goal that had sentimental value. But in his home country a civil war has started and has now defined the land as not even a place at all. Unfortunately for Mr. Navorski, he now had no land that he can refer to as his home land. Therefore he is forced to live in the JFK airport. But soon he befriends the employees and staff of the airport. Including Amelia Warren, a flight attendant who he befriends.

(Director)Steven Spielberg presented a warming, funny, drama film that movie lovers of all ages can enjoy.